1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to systems and methods for providing electronic communication services to customers. More particularly, the invention relates to systems and methods for providing content and temporal integrity and identification verification to electronic messages shared by users over a network.
2. Description of the Related Art
The use of electronic networks to convey information among networked users has undergone an enormous amount of growth in recent years. The ability to transfer data using computer applications, such as, for example, e-mail and file transfer protocol programs, has become increasingly important in personal, and especially, business communications.
Using computer networks for business communications, including buying and selling goods online, electronic funds transfer, online advertising, and accessing business information resources is known as electronic commerce (E-commerce). E-commerce can improve the efficiencies of current business processes and provide opportunities to widen existing customer bases. Over the next few years, as the number of Internet users continues to expand, E-commerce has the potential to be the source of an extraordinary amount of revenue growth.
In order to realize this potential, a variety of communication services and features will be required for E-commerce which traditionally have been available in physical communication channels. The United States Postal Service (USPS), an independent establishment of the executive branch of the U.S. government, provides such features through a variety of document and package delivery services. The USPS is widely recognized as a secure and reliable means for sending and receiving packages and mail used for both personal and business transactions. Packages and mail sent via the USPS are time-stamped with an official postmark which provides the recipient proof of the time the item was sent. Additionally, once material is placed with the USPS, the document is no longer in the sender's control, and thus cannot be recalled. Furthermore, packages and mail sent through the USPS are protected from third-party tampering by Federal laws. Electronic communication services currently do not provide these features. Additional security enhancements, such as authenticating the identities of the parties involved in a transaction and/or providing assurance to the recipient that a received message has not been altered may also be required for E-commerce to reach its full potential.
To ensure the vitality and growth of electronic communication and commerce, consumers and businesses need a secure way to communicate and conduct business electronically. Without trustworthy channels of communication, many potential participants in electronic commerce may be unwilling to send sensitive information electronically. In light of the foregoing, it is desirable to provide a system for electronic communication that provides a level of security which meets or exceeds the current level offered by the existing physical mail and package delivery services.